P’s Journey to Therapy and a Lovely Lady’s Birthday

September 5, 2012

Last Thursday I meant to write about my trip to therapy but I got distracted by the insanity of Le Clown’s blogroll contest. I now have to go to rehab for WP addiction. (It was fun though Le Clown, it really was.)

Anywho, I did take pictures of my trip to therapy last week. Again, it was with my crappy Nokia 5230 (it’s not THAT crappy). I had a lovely ride. It was a gorgeous day–one of those days where you feel the Houston heat and humidity suffocating you. “Asphyxiate on this, suckas!” says the southern Sun. You know, like the living in a sweaty armpit metaphor I used a while back? Yeah, it was one of those armpit living days.

I was all ready for therapy, ready to bitch and moan. But I ended up taking the bus late. I arrived at Wheeler station (near downtown) and realized, I wasn’t going to make it on time.

Wheeler Station. You can see downtown in the background. (c)paz/mmm

Some people carry umbrellas ’cause it’s so damn hot. Someone should’ve told him it’s a stupididea to carry a BLACK umbrella since black absorbs more heat, but I wasn’t the asshole to do it.

Once I got to Wheeler Station, I arrived at the MetroRail train heading downtown towards the downtown transit center. I hopped in the northbound train.

The lady in the striped dress helped me out when I nearly got crushed by the sliding doors. Had I not been in my wheelchair, I could’ve been sawed in half (not really, but the image is striking, isn’t it?).

Once I arrived at the downtown transit center and REALLY did get hit by the sliding door, I ran into the lady with the dress again. I also ran into another lady with a baby in a stroller. I wanted to take a picture but was too shy. I also didn’t want attitude; lady looked like she had attitude and might of said something like, “Da hell ya takin’ a pict-sha of my babey fo’?!”

So I just let his sleeping, curly-haired cuteness be.

I had to cross Main Street to get to the transit center and as I did that, I noticed there were cops arresting this dude off on the right parking lot. So I quickly took out my phone and thought to myself, “this is blog material, must take photo now before the cops see”. I think they still noticed I was taking a picture of them.

But get this, lady in the striped dress runs next to me saying, “Girl, you can’t be tweetin’ and crossin’ the street at the same time! Come on now!” I was about to say that I was actually takin’ a picture of the cops and that I don’t even have a Twitter account or internet on my phone to begin with. But I just nodded at her. She did save my life earlier.

The cops noticed I was taking a picture anyway. Damn! Oh wells… Can you see the three feet high perspective I got going on?

As I waited for my last bus (yes, I take a bus, a train and another bus), I called the university psychology research and services clinic to tell them I’d be running “about fifteen minutes late”. Ha! They should know I’m terrible and guesstimating time.

Yeah, I really fucked up on this one. I was trying to be covert about my picture taking, but the lady saw me anyway. That’s why my hand came out in the picture. Fuck!

And here’s where I make my social commentary. The majority of the people that take the bus in the area where I live are 1) latino, 2) black, 3) asian. I wonder why? *cough*

When you get to the university, you only see black folks on the bus because the university is near a historically black part of town called Third Ward (my dad thought it was Third World; he can’t understand English that well). It’s a poor area. But I love it in many ways.

I live in the far southwest side though, so I don’t get much of Third Ward anymore. I did when I was living at the university, but now that I’m back with my old folks, I don’t. Well, I do when I go to therapy now. And downtown, near the oil towers, it is a little different. You see a lot of nurses and businessmen–mainly white–and a grand ethic mix is only off to the side.

It’s funny how little certain things have changed. Third Ward is still poor and black. Downtown oil towers are still run by old, rich men.

This is the part where half a dozen pigeons begged me to feed them. I was ready to take AMAZING, head-exploding photos (because that’s what I do), but my damn phone ran out of battery juice. So I was left picture-less and the pigeons where left hungry.

Turns out I got to therapy 40 minutes late! Forty minutes for a fifty minute session! That’s nearly an hour-and-a-half bus ride. Needless to say, we had to reschedule for tomorrow. I won’t be late this time! I’ll tell you though, I used up those ten minutes like never before. It’s a good thing I’ve been hyped, ’cause I was able to bitch and moan a mile a minute.

I didn’t completely loose my trip to the uni though. I went to the student center and signed up in line at the academic records to get my transcript for the DACA application (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) I’m filling out for immigration. They withheld it because I still owe the Debt Collector Mafia two thousand dollars. 😦 Fuck you bill collectors! Let me get my transcripts!

So I zipped my little ass over to the law clinic–where I’m getting free legal advice (YEAH! YEAH!)–and I asked about the lawyer. I schedule for today. So after this, I shall be getting ready to go see the lawyer. Wish me luck.

Ooooh, and who’s the lovely lady you ask? It’s none other than the magnificent Ringmistress (aka Sara Draws) over at Laments and Lullabies. It’s her birthday today and I dedicate these photos to her. 😉

These less-than-mediocre photos are for you lovely lady! Happy barfday! (don’t barf too much now)

I DEMAND HEAD EXPLODING PHOTOS. You’re funny. I love that you took photos even though you didn’t have optimal conditions. And you;re getting sneaky, too. LOVE IT. I’m also kind of shy when I’m trying to get candid shots of strangers. Gotta work on my stealth mode.
Sorry about your epic trek to shortappointmentland. That sounds awful. Hope all works out with the lawyer, too. I am pumping my fist in the air for you!

And a funny lady telling me I’m funny is always a HUGE compliment. Thanks. You think I could make it as a writer for a comedy? hmmm. Not the crappy laugh track ones. A decent one? heheh. Ughh, that’d be too stressful. Make MY head explode.

[…] the the sweet and spicy PAZ managed to snap a few photos (as per my relentless requests) on her gruelling trek to Farawaydia. Seriously, I would’ve given up after about 18 minutes. The girl’s got grit, and […]

I love when you post pictures of Houston cos I never made it there. some guy you know sent me pictures but I erased them with the relation. aaargh. so i enjoy when you put up downtown pictures. 🙂 I love extremees and it takes me away from the lakes and trees into deep millions of people hot from the weather or what?. ooooooo

I took my GOOD camera this week. I’ll see if I have time for a post today. Maybe tomorrow. Yeah, I know which guy you’re talking about.

Yes, the weather here is unbearably hot in August. It was so cool and nice today though! I should take a trip downtown one day JUST to shoot photos. ‘Cause these are taken with haste and I’m on my way to therapy so I’m more anxious than the usual anxious…
xo